


Maybe We Can Make This Work

by mcschnuggles



Series: Schnugg's Regressuary 2021 [10]
Category: The Magnus Archives (Podcast)
Genre: Age Regression/De-Aging, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, CGRE - Caregiver/Age Regressor, Gen, Regressing!Jon, Regressing!Martin, Soulmate-Identifying Marks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-10
Updated: 2021-02-10
Packaged: 2021-03-16 20:21:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,880
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29338200
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mcschnuggles/pseuds/mcschnuggles
Summary: It's Jon's first day as the Magnus Institute's Head Archivist. Imagine his surprise when he has one extra archival assistant—who also happens to be his soulmate.
Relationships: Martin Blackwood/Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist
Series: Schnugg's Regressuary 2021 [10]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2138382
Comments: 4
Kudos: 34
Collections: Regressuary, Regressuary 2021





	Maybe We Can Make This Work

Meeting your soulmate is never easy.

Sure, there are those annoying girls from high school that claim it was love at first sight, that sparks flew and it was just oh-so romantic, but hardly anyone believes those stories.

No, when a person meets that special someone for the first time, there’s always a pause where they size each other up, silently asking themselves _is this really it?_

It’s supposed to be magical. The movies always go all out. Either time stops or the color palette goes vibrant, but it’s always something _big_. But instead it feels more like your flaws are being put on display.

That’s definitely the feeling Jon gets when his newest archival assistant realizes they have the same mark on their left hands.

Jon always wondered what someone would look like upon realizing their soulmate was him, and needless to say, he was not disappointed with the results. Martin tried to look sweet, tried to smile and nod and be excited, but Jon could see the gears turning, the desperate plea to the universe that double check if _this_ was the person he was destined to.

Jon doesn’t remember what excuse he used to get Martin Blackwood out of his office. Something like “this filing isn’t going to do itself.” Martin gets the hint easily enough, but regarding his attitude, Jon should have known he wouldn’t have been able to keep him away for too long.

He just wishes the circumstances were even slightly different.

Anything other than Martin walking in to see him a teary-eyed, regressed mess with his only comfort item in a vice grip.

Jon won’t let himself have much in terms of toys. Even this was a gift. Just a stupid plush bird on a keychain, not big enough for him to cuddle if he wanted to. But it fits in his fist perfectly, and he’s taken to soothing himself by rubbing his thumb over its head.

Martin freezes in the doorway. “Jon, are you okay?” He glances over his shoulder and shuts the door behind him. A smart move, considering his coworkers.

“I-I’m fine.” Jon takes in a shuddery breath, trying to compose himself, but it only makes him feel more disoriented. He scrubs at his eyes with the back of his hand. “I’ll be with you in a moment.”

Martin furrows his brow, taking in the small toy, the way Jon’s biting on his pinkie, and his jaw drops. “Wait, a minute. Are you…?” He presses a little closer, until he’s right in front of Jon’s desk. Far too into his personal space for Jon’s liking, but he can’t cower away now.

Jon steels his shoulders, trying to sit tall, but the next words out of Martin’s mouth cause his world to come crumbling down.

“Jon, you’re not _regressed_ , are you?”

“Y-you’re not to tell _anyone!_ ” Jon snaps, a threat that would probably sound more convincing if his chin weren’t trembling like mad.

“Oh, no, no, no! It’s okay!” Martin crouches in front of him, suddenly beaming. “Me too.”

Jon only stares at him, wide-eyed and wary.

Martin pauses, mulling over his response. He must be trying to break it down so it’s easy enough for a crying toddler to understand. “Well, you regress, right? You’re regressed right now.”

Jon steels his face, trying not to flinch at every use of the word “regress.” He’s never said it out loud, and he’d rather not start now. But slowly, warily, he nods, waiting for someone to pop out of the shadows to use this information against him. Maybe Martin will use it against him. He doesn’t look like the type, but appearances can be deceiving.

“That’s perfect! I do too!”

Jon can’t help glancing down at his birthmark, just to make sure it hasn’t morphed into a new shape in the past few minutes. But no, it’s still the same blob, with a gentle, curving slope and pointed tips where it bleeds into the lines of his palm.

Martin deflates a little. “You don’t seem very happy about it. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything. I should’ve just gotten up and given you your space. That’s my mistake.”

God, he’s a chatty thing, isn’t he? Jon isn’t a verbal regressor, especially since he spends his time regressed alone. But Martin requires a response, so he swallows back his anxiety and forces himself to speak.

“No. It’s lovely. It’s just… a lot? I wasn’t even told I was getting a third archival assistant before you walked in, and now you’re also my soulmate and also a regressor. I haven’t even had a chance for tea.”

“I can make you some.”

Martin turns to go, and Jon’s anxiety instantly skyrockets. It takes everything in him not to grab Martin’s hand. That would be too much too soon, he’s afraid, and he’s not ready for that level of affection yet.

“No, I—” Jon cuts himself off, unsure how he’d even finish that sentence. “I don’t need any right _now_ , I mean.”

“Right.” Martin has the good grace to blush. “It’s just a lot. I get it.” He still turns to leave, though, and the idea makes Jon’s stomach plummet.

He needs some sort of compromise. He knows he’s prickly and disagreeable, but even he can’t be bad enough to drive off his own soulmate, can he?

“You’re more than welcome to stay,” Jon offers. He cracks a nervous grin that does nothing to help the pounding of his heart. “After all I’m still… you know.”

“Sure.” Something unreadable passes over Martin’s face, but it’s gone in an instant. He eases into the seat opposite Jon. “I just wasn’t sure if you wanted me here. Since you’re trying to work and all that.”

“No work to be done, I’m afraid. I’d rather not have to go through this mess without a good number of label makers.” Jon swallows back his fear. “Besides, I’ll bounce back faster if I have some company.” And if he has someone forcing him to talk, but Martin doesn’t need to know that last part.

“Would… talking about it make things better or worse?”

Jon can’t help chuckling. Martin’s not even trying to hide how curious he is. “Fine. Ask whatever’s on your mind.”

“Do you have a caregiver?”

“No?” He tries to keep the sassiness out of his voice. Martin is new, so he wouldn’t know that Jon’s social life outside of the archives is nonexistent. Even with Georgie, the most he’d allow for himself was to rest his head in her lap. If she had any indication he regressed, she never showed it.

“Me either! I’m pretty big, though, so I can take care of myself if I need to. Do you like to color? I like to color!”

Jon blinks. He knows he’s regressing, falling into that hazy in-between state, because he absolutely cannot keep up with Martin’s line of conversation.

“Coloring is nice,” he says after a moment.

And suddenly Martin is beaming. “Jon, we could have a playdate! Wouldn’t that be fun?”

Jon realizes what’s happening a second too late. “Martin, you have to be big!”

“Oh, I am!” Martin says, his face burning to prove the opposite. He sits up a little straighter. “I am very big and very responsible right now.”

“If we both regress, we’ll be caught,” Jon points out. He’s had more than a few close calls in his day. A loud enough panic attack will have Tim come running, and Sasha launches into fussing at the first sign of wet eyes and ruddy cheeks.

“I can’t help it,” Martin says. He flaps his hands a little. “When I get really happy, I regress. Don’t you?”

Jon scoffs. “Never.” The closest he gets is when he’s warm and sleepy and doesn’t have to get out of bed, but more often than not, he only regresses when he’s about to shatter completely.

“Oh.” Martin tilts his head, inspecting Jon’s face.

Jon blushes under the scrutiny. He doesn’t know what Martin expects to find, looking at him like they’ve known each other for years.

“Did something bad happen?”

“Not _bad_. Just… unpleasant?” He doesn’t have the heart to say he found a spider web, complete with a spider the size of his thumbnail, attached to the latest stack of statements that sent him spiraling. Martin would probably think he’s a big baby.

“Aw. Poor thing.” He reaches out, maybe to take Jon’s hand, but he pulls back after a moment of thought. “If something like that happens again, you can come visit me. I won’t be upset.”

Jon nods. It’s too early for Martin to be someone he can depend on or even slightly trust, but it is a nice offer to have on the table.

Martin hums in thought, groping for the next topic. “Do you have any favorite movies? Or books?”

“I don’t really watch much. I’m not that picky about what I do watch, though. Usually whatever’s on.” Jon dares a glance up. “I assume you’re a movie buff?”

“I may or may not have an entire Disney collection at home.”

“And that statement may or may not have made me throw up in my mouth.”

Martin chuckles. “Not a Disney fan, eh?”

“Sorry to disappoint.” Jon sniffles, swiping the last of the tears from under his eyes.

“We’ll just have to find something you do like, then.” Martin says it like it’s an inevitability. And maybe it is. Little Jon has never had a person to watch movies with. Maybe he’ll like it.

“Maybe. In due time.” Jon mops at his face with his free hand. “Sorry, this is a lot.”

Martin sits back. He certainly does move a lot. That’ll take some getting used to. “I understand. It’s probably going to be taking me a few days to process. And to be quite honest, I wouldn’t be saying half the stuff I’m saying if I weren’t the tiniest bit regressed too.”

Jon snorts. “Glad to know we both have loose lips when small then.”

Martin smiles, but something changes in his expression as he does. It’s like Jon can see those last bits of doubt flaking away, like Jon has been properly sized up and deemed _worthy_. “I know it’s a little soon to be saying this, but I’m glad you’re my soulmate. It’s nice to have someone else who knows.”

Jon’s face burns. He wishes he had something to hide his face behind, like a proper stuffie or even just a pillow. Georgie used to tease him all the time about how bashful he was. Good to know that still hasn’t changed. “Uh, yeah. Same here.”

Martin reaches over, patting the back of Jon’s hand. “I’ll leave you be.”

He goes without another word, leaving Jon to his thoughts.

Jon’s eyes drop to his hand, still tight around his keychain stuffie, the birthmark of his palm barely visible behind the fur.

Not exactly how he planned for the day to go, but he can’t be too upset about it. He’s never had a playdate before, never had someone else that _knew_ , let alone could tell at a glance that he was feeling small. Besides, Martin looks like he gives good hugs.

Maybe this soulmate thing isn’t so bad.

**Author's Note:**

> mcschnuggles.tumblr.com


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